Even if I Make It Roughly, Ex-rank Items Continue to Accumulate - Chapter 167

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Even Hastily Made Ones Keep Stacking Up as EX-Rank (167)

Eye of the Storm

“Ah, you asked why I specifically came here?”

Kim Jin-seok, the merchant from the Apocalypse Order, suddenly turned to look at Lee Si-hyeok while driving.

“That’s because I have detection-related skills!”

“Detection?”

“Yes. I’m an awakener who’s very sensitive to nearby mana reactions. So when a powerful artifact appears, all the hair on my body stands on end. I use that as a basis to calculate where the artifact is located.”

He rolled up his sleeve to show his completely goosebump-covered forearm.

Lee Si-hyeok immediately pulled his sleeve back down.

“Huh? Why are you doing that? Is it disgusting?”

“The dead skin is a bit much.”

“…”

Before long, their destination began to come into view.

A massive sinkhole gaping open in the middle of the sand desert.

And five or six magical storms circling around it.

Threatening sparks were crackling and flying from the storms.

“The artifact is inside that sinkhole.”

Lee Si-hyeok immediately activated his 『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』.

Between the jeep and the sinkhole.

Following the long thread of mana, he descended below the sinkhole. The aggressive magical storms nearly broke his concentration, but he kept his eyes wide open and maintained focus, finding the location of the intensely felt artifact.

The sinkhole was like a maze.

The presence of many monsters filled and wandered within it. However, for some reason, the deeper he probed, the more a strange energy brushed against his senses. Neither monster nor human…

‘What is it?’

It was Kim Jin-seok who broke his contemplation.

“You can get out now. I wish you good fortune.”

“…?”

Lee Si-hyeok got out of the jeep and looked at him as if asking what he meant.

While his skin stung from the electrical current of the magical storm, Kim Jin-seok blinked.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t you coming with me?”

“…?”

“Don’t tell me I’m going alone?”

Kim Jin-seok panicked.

“What? That place is practically a death trap. How could a non-combat type like me go in there?!”

“I’m also a non-combat type, aren’t I?”

When he narrowed his eyes, Kim Jin-seok hastily added.

“Th-that’s on a completely different level! Humanity’s first EX-rank! The insurmountable wall Lee Si-hyeok! But I’m just a humble antique merchant! I’d only be baggage!”

“Two is better than one.”

“No, why do you keep saying that…”

“Let’s get out. For now.”

“Haaah…”

Kim Jin-seok reluctantly got out of the car while feeling wronged.

His desire not to die seemed to be clashing in his mind with the orders from his superior, Aurelie del Lumiere. Still, he appeared to prioritize the orders for now. Aurelie had told him to guide Lee Si-hyeok ‘to the end.’

“You won’t die. We just need to return alive.”

“That’s so easy to say…”

He sighed deeply while gathering various survival tools.

Though he spoke simply, Lee Si-hyeok had his reasons too.

‘I need a guide.’

From what he’d heard on the way, the Apocalypse Order had attempted to conquer this demon cave several times. They had formed elite conquest teams to eliminate monsters and retrieve the artifact.

However, they were repeatedly annihilated in the process, and the only result they obtained was an internal map recorded by the conquest teams.

And now.

The person who had memorized that map was none other than Kim Jin-seok.

‘He said he memorized it out of boredom while doing merchant work.’

Even though just telling him the location of the demon cave would have sufficed, Aurelie had specifically assigned Kim Jin-seok to accompany him.

Then perhaps her hidden intention was for Lee Si-hyeok to use him as a guide?

However, if she had mentioned this beforehand, Kim Jin-seok would have had no choice but to run away, so she deliberately didn’t mention it.

The wink she gave Lee Si-hyeok before departure was probably for that reason too.

“…”

Or maybe not.

That might have just been a thoughtless action.

In any case, even though he had already surveyed with his 『Eyes that Pierce the Essence』, having Kim Jin-seok’s presence would certainly make the conquest much easier.

Lee Si-hyeok patted the shoulder of Kim Jin-seok, who was trembling.

“Let’s go. If you happen to die, I’ll retrieve your body.”

“…”

“Just kidding.”

He hastily added this when Kim Jin-seok’s expression turned rapidly pale.

* * *

“Hiiiiek.”

To reach the sinkhole, they first had to break through the magical storms wandering around the perimeter. Kim Jin-seok screamed and clung tightly to him.

“P-please do something about that! If we get caught in it, we’re finished!”

The storm approached, grinding up everything it touched. The ear-splitting roar and stinging sandstorm stimulated his senses. The gloomy sky.

“How did the previous conquest teams solve this?”

“Hiiiek. What’s the point of asking that now! Hik, hiek. The previous conquest teams just avoided them well! They were all elite Hunters, so they didn’t need to go slowly like us!”

In other words, they got through by skillfully maneuvering with their physical abilities.

That seemed likely. Even from Lee Si-hyeok’s perspective, there didn’t seem to be any way for Hunters to break through that.

Which meant.

There was a way for non-Hunters.

“Uh uh uh uh. Where are you going? Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh!”

When he peeled off the clinging Kim Jin-seok and walked toward where the storm was, Kim Jin-seok screamed in horror.

A magical storm is like an accumulation of mana.

Mana builds up and builds up, meeting with the circulation of the natural environment to create the phenomenon of an extreme storm.

‘Here, the desert’s characteristics must have been influenced by the nearby industrial complex.’

Whiiiiing!

The closer he got to the storm, the more tremendous wind he felt.

The desert’s extreme temperature differences.

And the characteristics of strong updrafts and frequent fine sand storms.

When such characteristics meet with the enormous amount of mana residue spewed from the massive industrial complex, the mana particles in the air naturally begin to condense.

Just as static electricity occurs in sandstorms, the condensed particles lead to a rotation process, causing a ‘mana resonance phenomenon.’

From this point, it crosses over into the realm of uncontrollable natural disasters. This was also a dark side of the Gate era. Existing disasters gained new characteristics and were born as calamities.

“…”

Lee Si-hyeok stopped walking when he was not far from the storm. If he took just one more step forward, he would be swept away and his entire body would be torn apart.

He stood still and activated his skill.

[Activating 『Subspace』.]

[Summoning target ‘Lumibra’.]

The air split open and a familiar presence revealed itself.

A large, hairy man wearing a purple dress…

“…No, are you still wearing that?”

As soon as they met and he frowned, Lumibra laughed as if finding it cute.

“Little one. It feels like it’s been a while since we met.”

When she tried to hug him, he dodged. Lumibra curved her eyes as if she had expected this, then looked at the raging magical storm that was swirling around.

“Did you call me to solve that? If so, I’m sorry, but it’s impossible. A storm of that magnitude can’t be eliminated by force. The mana has twisted together to create an iron fortress. Unless you unravel it directly… Ah.”

Then she made an expression as if she had realized something on her own.

“You’re planning to solve it directly?”

“Yes.”

“Then I just need to protect you during that process?”

“Please.”

She raised the corners of her mouth. Then immediately released her mana to envelop Lee Si-hyeok’s entire body. Warmth filled his cold skin.

“You can start now.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Si-hyeok nodded and headed toward the storm. The closer he got, the fiercer the wind became and the more destructive currents poured down, but his body was completely unaffected. He thought he could hear Kim Jin-seok’s screams from far away.

Of course, it wouldn’t matter if he entered the sinkhole like this.

However, his attempt to dismantle the storm was to eliminate variables. Since he didn’t know what might happen inside, he planned to remove the obstacles blocking the entrance in advance.

“Is this the center?”

At some point, sudden stillness arrived.

The eye of the storm.

He had entered that point.

He knelt on one knee and closed his eyes.

In the space that had become quiet enough to make his ears feel muffled, he sensed the flow of mana that filled the surroundings.

It was tangled in a complex way like a ball of thread. He searched for the beginning of that thread, whose starting point was unknown, and followed it inward. It was precarious, like walking precariously on a tightrope.

Then troublemakers appeared to obstruct his path.

‘Mana residue.’

Pollutants that must have been emitted from the industrial complex.

The disaster factor that interfered with natural elements.

He lightly picked it up and dropped it off the thread with a flick. Then he concentrated his mana and burned it away with a whoosh.

The current process was similar to conducting cell experiments with a high-magnification microscope. He was performing delicate work on mana circuits that were barely visible to the eye. And relying solely on his senses at that.

“….”

With Lumibra’s heat added, cold sweat trickled down.

His concentration had gathered to the point where the ends of his brain felt like they were burning. It was when he had the illusion of smelling something burning from the tip of his nose.

“You succeeded.”

With Lumibra’s words, Lee Si-hyeok’s eyes opened.

When he looked around like that, the fierce magical storm had completely disappeared. All that was visible was the vast sand desert.

Not only the storm Lee Si-hyeok had entered, but all the other storms had completely vanished.

“Whew….”

Relief washed over him along with satisfaction.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t nervous.

Even though Lumibra was there, it was still dangerous work.

He put strength into his trembling legs, stood up, and headed toward where Kim Jin-seok was waiting. His expression was quite a sight to behold.

“H-how did this happen? Weren’t you dead…?”

“Come now. Why would I be dead?”

“Heoeoeoek.”

Lee Si-hyeok chuckled.

“Let’s hurry and go. As long as the industrial complex is still intact, the storms will form again someday.”

“Y-yes….”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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